Volunteering in a rural development program in the south of Chile, Laura is initially overwhelmed by the poverty and hardship she encounters. The country is ruled by the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. As she begins to find fulfillment in her work, she becomes attracted to a young activist called Marcelo from the nearby shanty town of La Aguita. When an assassination attempt against General Pinochet fails, a wave of repression against opposition groups is unleashed. Laura is swept up in the aftermath with the rural development team. Marcelo goes into hiding, accused of possessing weapons. When Laura decides to save Marcelo, he disappears and seems lost forever.